Be The Light – Set a Routine

At 5:30 a.m., my alarm goes off.

This used to elicit an immediate snooze response but in the past month it had initiated me leaping out of bed to take care of myself. Late this year, I came to the conclusion that to truly #bethelight for others, I must put myself first.

After what I now shall refer to as the “Medical Incursion of September 2017,” my life was in a spiral. I was discombobulated. Directionless. Tired. I looked everywhere for some type of help to get me back to being me again. After consulting friends, family, the Bible, and even Oprah (via YouTube), I finally decided that I needed a morning routine.

As much as I say I’m not a morning person, my day often leaves me so tired that I’m not an evening person either. However, what I did notice that I had settled into routine for my nights that led me to a stress free sleep. However, I had nothing in place to BEGIN my day stress free. And how your day begins is a pivotal springboard to how your day ends.

My schedule now reads, as follows:

5:30 a.m. – The alarm sounds.

5:35 a.m. – I begin positive noise (positive podcast or positive music ). Absolutely no news, no email, and no social media. Too stressful and takes away focus!

5:40 a.m. – I perform 10 minutes of yoga/stretching with positive noise playing in the background.

5:50 a.m. – I spend 1 minute sitting in silence/praying.

After this sequence, I officially begin my day. Sometimes, in the midst of these activities, I journal depending on how restless my night was. In that case, my stretching time decreases. Often, however, I find that writing in my journal is something I now do before I log into my computer at work (which is a part 2 morning ritual – yes a morning ritual for the office!).

I will say that since I have implemented this routine, I feel oddly more free. Less angry. Not as sluggish or tense. A lot of mornings I don’t really need coffee. Definitely sipping more tea these days!